Born: 1886, Buckfastleigh, Devon
Died: 1 July 1916
Buried: Fricourt New Military Cemetery
Address: Beck Bottom, Greengates
Parents: John Hancock Seage & Janet
Spouse: Mabel, nee Dixon
Siblings: Lillian, Furnley, Violet, Herbert, John
Occupation:
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Greengates
Children: John Wm, Ruby, Gladys
Regiment: West Yorkshire
William Samuel Seage
William was born in Buckfastleigh in Devon, the son of John Hancock Seage and his
wife Jane. Judging by the birth of their children, the family seemed to have moved to
Greengates around 1896.
William married Mabel Dixon in 1906 and by the time of the 1911 census the couple
were living in Marsden the three surviving children of the four they had had.
It would appear that they moved back to Greengates sometime before 1916 as we read in
the Shipley Times & Express on 11 August 1916 that Mabel was living there when she
heard that William was one of the thousands of men killed on the first day of the Somme:
Confirmation of the death of Pte W Seage, whose wife resides at the Beck Bottom,
Greengates, has been received in a letter written by Pte Harry Powell of New Line.
In it he says: “I am most sorry to say that your husband is dead. I have made enquiries
from the lads of our Company to whom he was once attached and I am told he was one
of the first to fall having received a bullet through the neck.
“He was the first I asked about after we had made a glorious attack upon the Germans at
7.30 a.m. on July 1st. This was about the time Willie was hit.
“I cannot help but sympathise with you. It will be hard for you. There will be many sad
homes in the West Riding as a result of this attack.”
